FICO Scores have become a standard for measuring credit risk in 90% of U.S. lending decisions. Lenders access billions of scores every year to help them make better-informed lending decisions.

You have a FICO Score for each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Each credit bureau maintains their own records; therefore, it is not uncommon for your FICO Scores to be slightly different.

FICO Scores are calculated from data on your credit reports based on five main categories. The weight of any one ingredient depends on the information on your entire credit report.

Good credit plays an important role in your financial life and can be a valuable tool to help you meet your goals. Understanding, building and managing your credit history are essential components in maintaining a good credit score.

What is a Credit Score?

A credit score is a three-digit number designed to summarize your credit risk or the likelihood you will pay back your credit obligations as agreed.

What is a Good Credit Score?

One of the most well-known types of credit score are FICO Scores, created by the Fair Isaac Corporation over 25 years ago. FICO Scores are used by many lenders and often range from 300 to 850.

]]>The ScoopFri, 05 Jan 2018 19:50:27 +0000Take the Stress out of Holiday Shopping, Open a Christmas Club Account Today!https://bvscu.org/the-scoop/take-the-stress-out-of-holiday-shopping-open-a-christmas-club-account-today
https://bvscu.org/the-scoop/take-the-stress-out-of-holiday-shopping-open-a-christmas-club-account-today

Does mistletoe and the need for a little extra dough have you stressed for the holidays? There is no better time than now to start saving for next Christmas. BVSCU makes it easy for you to save for those special gifts and expenses during the holiday season. Make Christmas that much merrier with the help of a Christmas Club savings account that lets you set aside money throughout the year — and earn dividends.

Our Christmas Club Account is a simple and convenient short-term savings account that allows you to set aside spending money for the holidays. Deposit a small portion of your paycheck each pay period into your account to build your savings over time. There's no minimum opening deposit and no minimum balance required to earn dividends. Account funds are transferred to your BVSCU savings account on October 31st each year.

Enjoy holiday shopping even more knowing you have planned ahead with a Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union Christmas Club Account. For more information visit our website at www.bvscu.org or stop by and visit us at one of our 10 convenient locations.

We know your time is valuable. In today’s busy world, you are likely taking care of multiple things on your to-do list all at the same time and there just aren’t enough hours in the day to get to everything done. That’s why here at BVSCU, we have made banking easier by offering many convenient ways to access your accounts.

Veterans Day is a time for us to pay our respects to those who have served. We celebrate and honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

For 98 years, Americans have remembered those who served our country in uniform on 11 November – first as Armistice Day, and then, since 1954 as Veterans Day. While only one day of the year is dedicated to honoring our veterans, we must never forget the sacrifices that many of our fellow countrymen have made to defend our country and protect our freedoms.

In this 99th year of commemoration, Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union invites you to join us for cookies and other refreshments on Friday, November 10th, at any of our BVSCU locations as we pay tribute to our men and women in the military.

On Thursday, October 19th, Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union (BVSCU) will celebrate International Credit Union Day (ICU Day) along with more than 56,000 credit unions around the world. International Credit Union Day is a day when credit unions all over the world celebrate the credit union movement and show appreciation for their members.

Each of our BVSCU locations will be participating in the celebration. We invite you to come enjoy refreshments, Halloween treats and other goodies while entering our drawing for a chance to win one of our many door prizes that we will be giving away throughout the day.

Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union celebrates ICU Day because it believes the not-for-profit structure and people-first principles of credit unions make us the ideal financial partners for all people. This is because, unlike other financial institutions, credit unions are not-for-profit, so their primary purpose isn’t to score record profits in order to cut distant shareholders bigger dividends checks. Rather, the primary purpose of credit unions is—and always has been—to be of service to our members.

Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union recently celebrated the grand opening for our new Katy location accompanied with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted by the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce. The Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union Board of Directors and team welcomed over 150 members of the community during the opening with refreshments, fun festivities and door prizes throughout the day. Turner Duran Architects, the design firm for the new location were among those in attendance. The new location is conveniently located at 25425 Kingsland Boulevard, Katy, Texas 77494, behind Katy Mills Mall near the corner of Kingsland Boulevard and Pin Oak Road.

President and CEO, Yvonne Kersher, welcomed and thanked everyone for coming to the grand opening celebration and spoke about the credit union’s mission, stating “it has been a privilege to serve our members and be an active partner in the community for the past sixty three years. We are extremely proud of our new location and will continue to play an essential role in helping our members reach their financial goals by offering innovative products and providing excellent services for years to come.”

The National Automated Clearing House Association, or NACHA, is the organization that establishes standards and rules followed by financial institutions for transferring payments. NACHA is implementing Same Day ACH for debits beginning in September.

What does this mean for you? If you authorize an ACH payment, it could be debited from your account the same day. Therefore, it's important to ensure available funds are in your checking account when you write a check or initiate an ACH withdrawal to avoid overdraft fees.

The following is a guest post from Sarah Kotb, an 8th Grader at Cinco Ranch Junior High School. Sarah was a student in CRJHS’ business writing program that paired students with local companies to learn the ins and outs of professional communications.

Imagine this, you’re struggling to make your way through your daily commute, when it dawns on you, “I need a better mode of transportation”. Unfortunately, buying a brand new vehicle outright just might not be in your budget right now. Luckily, the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Brazos Valley Schools Credit Union are here to help you finance the car of your dreams with an auto loan that you can feel good about.

When you qualify for membership at BVSCU, you become a valuable part-owner of the credit union with access to great, easy-to-use accounts, convenient financial services, and competitive loan rates. BVSCU’s auto loan program includes extended repayment terms and easy payment options, plus the added optional coverage of Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP) and life and short-term disability insurance—all at a price that fits your budget!

Spring is well under way and while some of us are muddling through allergies or preparing for the end of the school year, many are diving into the annual ritual of spring cleaning. Piles of junk mail, boxes of old account statements and bills, unopened credit card offers—there are pounds of paper to sort through.

You may be tempted to chuck it all in the trash bin, but you ought to take a closer look at what sensitive information you’re making readily available to potential thieves. Many items, such as your BVSCU monthly statement, contain valuable personal information to scammers who have no qualms about rooting through your easily accessible trash.

Think twice before you trash it and follow these helpful hints to stay safe this spring!

]]>The ScoopThu, 04 May 2017 17:45:57 +0000MORE MONEY, LESS PROBLEMS!https://bvscu.org/the-scoop/more-money-less-problems
https://bvscu.org/the-scoop/more-money-less-problemsThis Super Saver is well on her way to learning smart money habits.

Adults know that saving money is a great idea. There are many benefits to saving a dollar here and there, building up a solid savings account, and planning ahead with your paycheck. But did you know that something as simple as a savings account can have fantastic and long-lasting positive effects on your children as well?

Planting the seeds of early savings behavior can be a lifelong gift. With a savings account, a child has the opportunity to learn about the concepts of money: needs vs. wants, saving for the future, and the rewards of interest. You might be surprised how quickly Junior learns!

One thing is clear—children who understand the concept of saving become adults who manage their money well. Parents who save for their child’s education often raise their educational expectations for the child while they increase savings behavior, decrease anxiety over money and significantly increase the likelihood of their child attending and graduating college. The resulting adult is well-versed in financial basics, has a great habit of saving and spending responsibly, and has a better chance of achieving a high paying job they love with their hard-earned degree.

The Merrell Center in Katy was abuzz with laughter, games, friends, and celebration on March 30. Door prizes and e-statement sign-ups weren’t the only events drawing a crowd, however. BVSCU members came from far and wide to gather, socialize, and listen to the annual report from BVSCU President and CEO, Ms. Yvonne Kershner.

This year BVSCU employees hosted a variety of kid-centric activities to celebrate our future savers. Families were welcomed into the event by smiling employees at the ready with face paint, super hero mask crafting, and a real-life Money Machine! Whether kids were taking silly photos at the Selfie Station or battling a simulated tornado whirling cash and coupons, it was clear that FUN was in the air.

Across the way, folks took the time to share their stories and show their support for BVSCU at the Member Testimonial Booth. From a sweet father-daughter team photo to a lifetime member expressing his gratitude—our members had a lot to say and we were honored to listen.